Wednesday, March 30, 2016

this post is sponsored by rachael ray's nutrish. the thoughts and opinions are my own.

i have been eating gluten free for six months now. it is not by choice or because of a fad diet (no judgment, just not for me.) my doctor put me on it so see if it could help with a recent medical diagnosis. so, begrudgingly, i have given up all the wonderful things i love about bread. while i'm not completely healed, my migraine headaches went from two or three a week down to about one a month. that's pretty miraculous. so, i'm continuing on the gluten free road.

i was recently sent the loveliest of packages from rachael ray's nutrish. in it i found bags of their newest premium dog food for my sister-wives dogs and an amazing recipe for a french spring chicken pot. (if you want to know why i have sister-wives dogs, you can read that here.) i couldn't resist either the recipe or the new dog food for the "wives," especially when i noticed that simply by switching to gluten free flour, the recipe was something even i could enjoy.

with my own food sensitivities, i am hyper aware of others who struggle with food allergies or sensitivities of their own. these sensitivities can be a part of our pets' lives as well. my family feels comfortable with DISH from rachael ray nutrish because real u.s. farm-raised chicken or beef is always the #1 ingredient, there's never any corn, wheat, soy or gluten (i'm pretty sure even i could eat it) and each recipe is made with whole ingredients you can see, like carrots, peas and apples.

the best part about this pet food? you can buy DISH where you buy your family's groceries or visit nutrishforpets.com to purchase online. i'm a huge fan of shopping in one location if at all possible for every member of my family, pets included. DISH is available in two flavors, beef and brown rice recipe with veggies and chicken and brown rice recipe with veggies and fruit. i have to admit, it was the best looking dog food i think i've ever seen and i know that the apples, farm-grown potatoes, carrots and peas all have huge health benefits to our pets...and to me and my kiddos too. if i'm going to take the time to make healthy, delicious meals for my family, the least i can do is include some of that food love for my pets. rachael ray makes it easy to do just that.

***if you are interested in receiving a care package from rachael ray nutrish, leave us a comment in the comment section. one reader will be selected to win the same beautiful gift i received as well as some coupons for free packages of DISH pet food. ***

healthy, delicious food for my pets and a healthy and delicious meal for my family...i'm totally #winning at parenting today. this recipe is delicious and is full of so much flavor that my kids didn't notice it was full of veggies. gluten free goodness means that i can enjoy it as well. did i mention #winning? here's hoping you enjoy it as well...

gluten free french spring chicken pot

from rachael ray's kitchen

(serves 4)

4 pieces skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 onions, one halved and one chopped (or one halved and one bag of frozen chopped onions)

1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons butter

1 baking potato, peeled and cut into small cubes

2 carrots, peeled and cut into small cubes (i just bought a bag of sliced carrots)

3 small ribs celery, cut into small cubes

1/3 pound white mushrooms, quartered

1/3 pound thin green beans cut on an angle into one inch pieces

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons gluten free flour

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup frozen peas

3 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

1/3 cup heavy cream

gluten free bread for dunking

in a large, heavy pot or dutch oven filled with simmering water, cook the chicken, halved onion and bay leaf until cooked through and tender, 15-20 minutes.

transfer the chicken to a cutting board and cut into bite-size pieces or, using two forks, shred in a bowl.

wipe out the pot, add the butter and melt over medium heat. one vegetable at a time, stir in the chopped onion, potato, carrots, celery and mushrooms. cover the pot, lower the heat and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. add the green beans and season with salt and pepper. sprinkle the gluten free flour into the pot and stir for one minute. stir in the wine, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook until slightly reduced, about one minute. stir in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. stir in the peas, tarragon and mustard and simmer for 5 minutes.

add the chicken to the vegetables. stir in the cream and heat through. serve with gluten free bread.

enjoy!

about rachael ray nutrish

in 2007, with the help from pet nutrition experts, rachael ray created nutrish super-premium food and treats for dogs inspired by recipes from her own kitchen. in 2014, the brand grew into the world of cat food. whether intended for dogs or cats, nutrish recipes are made with simple, wholesome ingredients like real meat or fish, and do not contain poultry by-product meal or fillers.

rachael's personal proceeds go to rachael's rescue which was created to help shelter pets in need. to date, she has donated over $10 million. this money has gone toward food, medical supplies and treatments for those unfortunate animals. all of the rachael ray nutrish products are available where you shop for your family's groceries, making specialty recipes accessible and convenient for every pet parent.

Monday, March 14, 2016

those that know me well know that i love organization. my label maker is my best friend....but the key to great organization is great products. this is the truth.

genelle and i were sent these amazing acrylic organizers from whitmor . they are sleek and so beautiful. they are intended for make-up organization, however we both found that they work so well for organizing hair accessories and jewelry, too. we love how the well designed organizer makes it so easy to see everything that you have in there. you know, not like the drawer that you currently have everything shoved into. (wink, wink).

what i learned, after falling in love with my organizer is that i actually already own and use a ridiculous amount of whitmor brand products (no joke)! the following are other organizational products that i use and love and that changed my disorganized life into organized bliss. try a few...they will change your life.

whitmor over-the-door shoe rackthis is the best item i have. it store 36 pairs of my shoes (even heels), sits neatly on the back of my bedroom door and isn't in the line of sight when people come over to our home. *love* it. i even own a second one for the kiddos shoes. now all of their shoes are tucked nicely behind the door and not thrown all over the closet floor. it's a minor miracle!

love the locker-style look these give in a boys room or can provide in a garage or mud room. i personally use mine with canvas storage cubes to hide some of the toys and clutter that my little men accumulate.

goodness, does wrapping paper take up so much space! it was overtaking my hall closet, until i found this simple case. it fits perfectly under my bed and is there in a snap when i need to wrap something but stays tucked away until then.

these canvas cubes (and a couple other styles) are the cutest things. not only are they an adorable addition to the decor of a playroom or bedroom, but they are so functional. from matchbox cars to rescue bots and pokemon cards....there is a bin for everything.